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theresa-lynn
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| Posted: Dec 11 2009 at 6:55pm | IP Logged
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ooo i like the idea of snow in the tub... although i'm sure they would either eat it or find a way to do something 'creative' with it LOL
great ideas everyone! I do think a ig key is getting the bigger kids helping more, but sometimes i feel bad for mine... mother guilt, yk?
wish i could come over and help out, angela!
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Blessings,
Melanie
Mommy to dd 8, ds 6, dd 4, dtwins 2, and another due in october.
Our Lady of Tuscany Academy
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Angel
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| Posted: Dec 12 2009 at 6:54am | IP Logged
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theresa-lynn wrote:
ooo i like the idea of snow in the tub... although i'm sure they would either eat it or find a way to do something 'creative' with it LOL
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Indoor snowball fight maybe? 
I do want to say thanks again. You've all given me a lot to think about. Sometimes my dh and I get so tired that we run out of brainstorming energy. I can totally see my twins trying to parachute out their window, so I'm just not ever going to mention that story in their hearing. It does remind me of a friend of mine whose children are now grown... One day my friend came home to find her teenage son standing in the foyer shirtless and looking as if he was trying to hide something upstairs. Of course she was immediately  ... but then she saw all the *rappeling* equipment that was hanging off the second floor balcony!! He'd been practicing his rock-climbing indoors and was, apparently, hot.
I just try not to think about my twins as teenagers.
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Angela
Mom to 9, 7 boys and 2 girls
Three Plus Two
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Angel
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| Posted: Dec 12 2009 at 7:00am | IP Logged
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Oh, and Marilyn... what sorts of activities do you put in your ziploc bags? I have been thinking about something along these lines as well.
(For the record, I am never 100% down in my 1st trimester, more like 50% depending on the time of day. While I am completely and totally grateful that things are not worse, I think my family often assumes I am "fine". Which is not always the case, even if I am up and attempting to make dinner... I am moving at about half speed... and the little ones of course are always running at about 150%. I am thinking ahead -- although I don't like to tempt fate  -- because it does appear that we won't have very much help for delivery... and I am always completely "down" then, since I have C-sections.)
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Angela
Mom to 9, 7 boys and 2 girls
Three Plus Two
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Tina P.
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| Posted: Dec 12 2009 at 10:52am | IP Logged
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Angel wrote:
| (For the record, I am never 100% down in my 1st trimester, more like 50% depending on the time of day. While I am completely and totally grateful that things are not worse, I think my family often assumes I am "fine". Which is not always the case, even if I am up and attempting to make dinner... I am moving at about half speed... and the little ones of course are always running at about 150%. I am thinking ahead -- although I don't like to tempt fate -- because it does appear that we won't have very much help for delivery... and I am always completely "down" then, since I have C-sections.) |
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Ditto for me. BUT this time I have acclimating to synthroid and advanced age (I'm 42) to contend with. I'm noticing, not for the first time, that I can only be up and busy for so long all throughout the pregnancy. My days are more up and down than ever before and I think my dh vaccilates between irritation that I'm not doing as much as I used to be able to do and concern for my welfare.  I have an almost-14 yod who takes on a LOT at both ends of my pregnancies. God bless her! 
Lately, we've been playing a lot of sit-down games like Usborne Picture Word Lotto and their Number Lotto game which I can't find in the catalog. We also have a couple of old DK card games. It just lets me sit. When I have to nap, that's when the big kids come in. And i do admit that I rely on DVDs when the kids are especially squirrely. But we try to make that a last resort. If they will be content with stories, supervised art and/or playdough, or even fixing themselves a snack (they love ants on a log!), they do that first.
And Julia, I knew what you meant.  I was joking when I said I'll have to remember that when I walk into organized peoples' houses. I actually started to write "friends' houses" but thought that maybe someone would misunderstand. And I posted that widely grinning emoticon so that what I said would be understood as a joke, but I guess it still wasn't. Sorry.
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Tina, wife to one and mom to 9 + 3 in heaven
Mary's Muse
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lapazfarm
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| Posted: Dec 12 2009 at 12:18pm | IP Logged
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I am trying to think of things that my littles like to do indoors that take up a lot of time and energy (theirs, not mine):
*Can your dh bring home a big refrigerator box for them to cut/color/play in? Better yet, two boxes? I know your kids know just what to do with a big box and a roll of masking tape.
*A big sheet of bubble wrap can last quite a while.
*A stack of old magazines, scissors and a glue stick for collage.The little one can just cut.
*Make paper chains-have an older one show them how, and then see if they can make one that goes around the whole room. Have them count the links.
*Bring in a few boards, some hammers and nails and let them hammer them flat. Have older kids start them if necessary.
*They can also hammer nails into cardboard boxes or pumpkins.
*The little one can hammer golf tees into clay.
*Blow up some balloons and have a game of "don't let the balloon hit the floor." When that wears out have them color on the balloons with markers, or try to sit on the balloons and pop them.
*cornstarch and water in a pie pan. Color it black and add dinos to play "Tar Pit."
*Draw a Christmas tree on a big sheet of paper and have them color it green and make paper ornaments for it.
*Big rice bucket with cups, spoons, funnels, toy cars, dinosaurs,etc.
Hope that helps some.
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Theresa
us-schooling in beautiful Fairbanks, Alaska.
LaPaz Home Learning
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MarilynW
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| Posted: Dec 14 2009 at 7:24pm | IP Logged
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[QUOTE=Angel] Oh, and Marilyn... what sorts of activities do you put in your ziploc bags? I have been thinking about something along these lines as well.
/QUOTE]
I use the huge ziplocs and have different categories - I do use activities with pieces, but my arranging them in bags it is easier to control (and being me I write on the outside of the bag how many pieces are in there so we do not lose things ) I also only let them have one bag at at time - and this has to be cleared away before giving the next one.
1)Art activities bags
- magnadoodle
- crayons and coloring books/blank books
- crayola spill free watercolors (hat tip Martha on this board)
- scissors and cutting activities
- playdough/beeswax/clay with a couple of tools
- color pencils with notebook and coloring book
- chalk with mini blackboard
2) Manipulatives bags
- giant lacing beads
- lacing apple/sewnsew
- lace and trace cards
- guidecraft screw block
- peg puzzles
- textures puzzles
3) Read aloud bags
I organize bags of 3 to 5 read alouds which they can pick and be read to by an older sibling or myself
4) Dvd bags - an asortment of Signing Time, Letter Factory, Donut Man, Veggie Tales, Rescue Heroes, Language dvds
5) Games bags eg Candy Land, Hi Ho Cheerio, Card Games
6) Learning activities - math manipulatives, magnetic moveable alphabet, word cards etc
7) Cd bags - variety of Jim Weiss, Usborne Tales, Paddington, Little Bear, etc
8)Others:
- mini vehicles bag
- velcro play food bag
- action men/rescue heroes bag
I also organize snack bags when I feel well enough - they love getting a brown bag!
Hope these ideas help
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Marilyn
Blessed with 6 gifts from God
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MarilynW
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| Posted: Dec 14 2009 at 7:25pm | IP Logged
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Angela - I want to add too that for the high energy children we do have indoor basketball - the one that moves to all different heights - we have it in our basemen, but I have moved it up for littles - when my 5 year old was 2 he would spend HOURS shooting baskets. For this same guy we would also set up bowling pins and a ball and he would spend hours setting these up and hitting them down again.
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Marilyn
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4Real Forums : Nurturing the Years of Wonder
Topic: keeping little ones busy when mom is down
